The sanctity of the cow in Hinduism, the
belief, dating from the Vedic period, that associates the cow with certain
deities and thus accords it veneration. Though oxen and bulls were sacrificed
and their flesh consumed in ancient India, the slaughter of milk-producing
cows was prohibited, and verses of the Rgveda refer to the cow as Devi
(goddess), identified with Aditi (mother of the gods) herself. By the
early centuries of the Common era, the killing of a cow was equated
to the sin of killing a Brahman (a member of the highest, priestly,
caste). The degree of veneration afforded the cow is indicated by the
use in rites of purification and extreme penance of the pańcagavya,
the five products of the cow--milk, curd, butter, urine, and dung. The
importance of the pastoral element in the Krishna cycle of legends,
particularly from the 10th century onward, further emphasized the sanctity
of the cow. In modern India the question of the slaughtering of cattle
is often a political issue.